


this is 2016

by frecklesandfrogboy (startwithasong)



Series: @murphamyfanfiction ficlets [5]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Racism, Slurs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 10:10:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8282137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/startwithasong/pseuds/frecklesandfrogboy
Summary: Prompt: Somebody makes a racist comment to/about Bellamy and Murphy doesn't allow it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> content warning: contains a racial slur

When Murphy goes to meet Bellamy in the parking lot after school, he finds his boyfriend in a heated verbal fight with a kid from the soccer team. Damien, who embodies the dictionary definition of “douchebag,” is one of the worst players on the team, and arguably one of the worst people in the school, but that doesn’t stop him from walking around the place like he owns it.

Murphy approaches quickly, knowing Bellamy is waiting for him. “…you have a problem with me, you can take it up with the coach, okay?” Bellamy is saying. His arms are folded and he looks frustrated and a little uncomfortable.

“No, I’m not a fucking pussy,” Damien is saying. “I’m not going to bring Coach into this. I—”

“I’m here,” Murphy interrupts, and Bellamy looks relieved.

He gives Damien a tight-lipped smile. “Sorry, D, looks like I’ve gotta go.”

Murphy glares at Damien, who glares right back. “Come on, Murph,” Bellamy says, tugging him toward his car.

“Yeah, walk away, asshole,” Damien calls as they turn to leave. “Goddamn chink.”

Murphy whirls. “The _fuck_ did you just—”

Bellamy pulls him. “Murph, come on.”

“No, what the fuck, I’ll kick his ass—”

“Murphy, just leave it.”

“ _No,_ Bell, he’s— _I’LL FUCK YOU UP!”_ Murphy yells at him, but he lets Bellamy drag him away.

“Why—Bellamy, why’d you stop me?” he demands when they’re in Bellamy’s car. “He called you—”

Bellamy sighs. “I know, I heard him.”

“Aren’t you pissed?”

“I dunno, Murph. He’s just another ignorant white boy. The world is filled with them.”

“He literally just called you a fucking slur.”

“I’m not even Chinese.” Bellamy sounds tired. “I mean, I don’t even _look_ Chinese.”

Murphy frowns. “Does it matter? It wouldn’t have been okay if you _were_ Chinese.”

Bellamy wrinkles his nose and purses his lips, and Murphy can see that even though he’s acting like it’s okay, the word had an effect.

He touches Bellamy’s hand. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Bellamy says, not looking at him.

“You sure?”

Bellamy sighs again and takes Murphy’s hand, stroking it with his thumb. “It’s just, it’s exhausting.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry. I… if I overreacted, then I’m sorry.”

Bellamy laughs, quiet. “No, you were fine. That was nice of you. I just. Sometimes it’s exhausting to get angry about it. I know that sounds so… I know that sounds horrible, but it’s happened so much that I’m just… I dunno. Used to it? And if I got angry every time… I’d just be angry forever.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Murphy says, wanting to be supportive. He doesn’t really understand, but he’s never been called anything like that. Murphy squeezes his hand. “You still shouldn’t have to hear shit like that. This is 2016, not the fucking thirties.”

“I know.” Bellamy looks at him now. “I know.”

“I get why you don’t want to… I mean, I get if you don’t want to get mad about it.”

“I just don’t want to have to, I guess. I mean… I _am_ mad. It’s—yeah, it’s 2016, this shouldn’t be _happening_. I shouldn’t have to deal with this. It’s… it’s fucking infuriating.” Bellamy clenches and unclenches his jaw. “But I just, I don’t want it to affect me like that.” He takes a breath and says, quietly, “I hate that people like him exist.”

“Me too.” Anger flares again, hot and electric. Murphy balls his fist. “Fuck. He should be expelled.”

“Or at least suspended. I dunno. I wish someone else heard him.”

“I want to punch him in the fucking throat.”

Bellamy’s hand tightens. “Please don’t hurt him, Murph. He’s an asshole, but he’s not worth it. You could get in trouble.”

Murphy scowls. “We can’t just let him get away with it.”

Bellamy leans closer and rests his head against Murphy’s shoulder. “We’ll think of something, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Murphy says. Hesitantly, he pats Bellamy’s head. Damien’s going to pay.

~ ~ ~

And he does. Three days later, Murphy hears from Clarke that Damien has been suspended for an entire week.

He tells Bellamy this after school. A grin slips onto Bellamy’s face. “Are you serious? He’s suspended for a whole week?”

“And he’s on probation.” Murphy smirks. “Fucking asshole got what was coming to him.”

“Murph… what did you do?”

Murphy makes an innocent face. “What? The kid got suspended, just like he should have been. Who said I did anything about it?”

Bellamy raises an eyebrow. “Fine,” Murphy says, “they caught him with weed in his locker.”

“And?”

“And I put weed in his locker. So what? Everyone knows he smokes at school. He’s a fucking idiot.”

Bellamy is trying to hide a smile. “Thanks, babe.”

Murphy shrugs. “He deserves it. He should be fucking expelled.”

“You know he won’t know it was you, right?”

Murphy smirks. “He knows. I told him if he ever said shit about you again, next time it’d be cocaine.”

Bellamy laughs, slapping Murphy on the shoulder. “You don’t know how to get fucking cocaine.”

“ _He_ doesn’t know that.”

“What if he tells the principal it was you?”

Murphy shrugs. “Nobody will believe him. I’m pretty sure everyone was waiting for him to get caught, I just sped up the process a little.”

Bellamy takes his hand, a small smile lingering on his face. “You didn’t have to do anything, you know.”

“I wanted to. I hate that kid.”

“Me, too.”

“And, I mean, I know you can stand up for yourself. I just…”

Bellamy nods. “No, I know. I get it. Thanks for supporting me.”

Murphy squeezes his hand. “Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> damien is based off of the Worst White Boy Ever in my high school who was super racist and homophobic and disgusting.
> 
> like bellamy i am part filipino and a kid in middle school once called me a ch*nk so that’s why i chose that word instead of something else, so i could write this from experience. also **[this video](http://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000004706646/thisis2016-asian-americans-respond.html)** reveals some of the everyday racism that asian americans often face and i thought it was pretty powerful and relevant to this prompt— **please watch it if you have time**. don’t be an asshole guys! please don’t. murphy will fuck you up. #thisis2016
> 
> IMPORTANT: this is not intended to perpetuate any idea of white saviorship and i tried to make sure that was not the case. bellamy's reaction is based on my own experiences with racist comments, and murphy's is based on the prompt.


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